4 Percent by CEP

Everything you ever wanted to know about mandatory 4 percent Title I Part A improvement activities funds and how they are distorting the amount of money available for Title I programs in states and districts. CEP breaks it down in Title I Funds--Who's Gaining and Who's Losing: School Year 2006-07 Update. From here, it looks mighty ugly.

This study could bring the napalm onto ED, Congress, and George Bush. The tired and worn--NCLB is underfunded--may be doing victory laps with stats like these:

• Nearly 90 percent of the nation's school districts articipating in the federal Title I program will have their Title I funding cut or frozen for 2006-07, and half the states will also lose funds.
• The mandatory 4% reservation of funds that states must make for school improvement activities adjusts the federally predicted 38 percent of districts get an increase to only 10 percent of districts get a Title I funding increase.
• States will receive only 60% of the funds they could potentially receive under NCLB to assist schools in need of improvement.

Weak for states and weak for kids. Double weeeak.

A modest rejoinder (sort of, barely) . A state sponsored study that doesn't disprove federal funding is inadequate at one state's SEA level but suggests that NCLB funding at the LEA level is inadequate.